Bobbi Brown: Makeup that Looks Like Skin, But Better
Bobbi Brown is the beauty line and namesake of celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown, and a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award in Best Cosmetics Line.
Bobbi Brown worked her way up to makeup stardom through the freelance scene in New York City, gig by gig, in the kind of environment that makes most young hopefuls throw in the towel. Her seven-year perseverance paid off with a Vogue cover featuring supermodel-to-be Naomi Campbell shot by Patrick Demarchelier. She was immediately established as one of the freshest voices in the industry, and the jobs started pouring in.
Brown's decision to create her own makeup line was born of frustration. She wanted to create a "gorgeous, no-makeup look" and found that most products were too artificial-looking for everyday wear; the wrong color and too opaque to allow a person's true beauty to shine through on the page or the runway stage. Kismet came when she ran into a chemist on a photo shoot. "I had the idea to create a lipstick that didn't smell, wasn't dry or greasy, and looked like lips, only better -- and I told the chemist about it," she said. One thing led to another, and she debuted a line of 10 lipsticks at Bergdorf Goodman in 1991, selling over 100 items on the first day.
The brand expanded and was eventually bought by Estée Lauder, but Bobbi Brown retains creative control to this day and continues to develop products that look like lips, eyes or skin, but better. Part of her strength is in her no-nonsense, this-is-how-I-did-it attitude, one you can't achieve by having your career handed to you. She still hones her craft behind the scenes at runway shows and even on stage with how-to segments on Oprah and The Today Show and all over the media.
The advent of Brown's natural-looking Bobbi Brown products has been a turning point in the history of makeup, and her dedication to educating women about how to wear makeup without looking like they're wearing makeup is a borderline public service. Thank you, Bobbi.
Vote for the cosmetics line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.
The brand expanded and was eventually bought by Estée Lauder, but Bobbi Brown retains creative control to this day and continues to develop products that look like lips, eyes or skin, but better. Part of her strength is in her no-nonsense, this-is-how-I-did-it attitude, one you can't achieve by having your career handed to you. She still hones her craft behind the scenes at runway shows and even on stage with how-to segments on Oprah and The Today Show and all over the media.
The advent of Brown's natural-looking Bobbi Brown products has been a turning point in the history of makeup, and her dedication to educating women about how to wear makeup without looking like they're wearing makeup is a borderline public service. Thank you, Bobbi.
Vote for the cosmetics line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.
